DaimlerChrysler to fund farmer co-ops for bio-diesel – Jatropha to be cultivated in Guj, Orissa villages – Times of India, Pune, 19^th July, 2005

DaimlerChrysler is planning to spearhead an initiative to form farmers’ co-operatives for the cultivation of the Jatropha plant and extraction of bio-diesel from its seeds in villages in Gujarat & Orissa. This would be done in collaboration with the Central Salt & Marine Chemical Research Institute (CSMCRI), which is also involved in the company’s bio-diesel project along with the University of Hohenneim, Germany.

“We will fine-tune the concept by October-November this year and, by the first half of 2006, we can expect to set up the co-operatives and the plant,” said Suhas Kadlaskar, director, corporate affairs & finance, DaimlerChrysler India, here on Monday. The company will give an assurance to these co-operatives that it will make a guaranteed purchase of 50, 000 litres per annum of the fuel from them from 2006, he said.

According to him, the Rs.2crore project to make bio-diesel cost effective (Rs.6/- per kg as against Rs.12/- per kg currently) will involve training farmers in the cultivation of Jatropha, high quality bio-diesel extraction technology and setting up the plant. In Orissa, the project will be limited to only cultivation, while the co-operative in Gujarat will also have the extraction plant, said Kadlaskar.

Kadlaskar was speaking at the flagging off of two C-class Mercedes-Benz Viano (a van), powered by pure bio-diesel, to the severe and demanding terrain of the Himalayan ranges to test its performance in cold climate and high altitude. The 1, 900 km drive would be across the frozen desert of Leh, over Khardung La Pass, the highest motorable road in the world, and Rohtang Pass, the second highest motorable road.

“With this, we will finalise the technical feasibility that bio-diesel is the perfect fuel for India. Not only will it reduce India’s high dependence on oil imports and rural poverty, but will also utilize its over 130 million hectares of wasteland (Jatropha can be planted in wasteland),” said Kadlaskar. Last April, bio-diesel was tested in hot and humid climate. The 5, 900 km road trial ran through rugged terrains in the country in 35 days.